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Thoughts on This Is How You Lose Her

I think the world would be a dull place if everyone in it were the same. I love to read because reading allows me to explore other cultures and ideas so I was excited to pick up This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz, a novel about Yunior, a young Dominican immigrant. Yunior’s story is told through a series of inter-connected stories, most of which are narrated by Yunior. This book has received a lot of praise from the critics – Time Magazine named it one 2012’s best works of fiction – but the book just wasn’t for me. I think maybe I’m just too old and too uptight for it.

Yunior loves women, but struggles to remain faithful to them. He has done pretty well for himself, but can’t seem to leave his past behind. Under most circumstances, Yunior is exactly the type of character I like to read about, but for some reason, I struggled with this book. Maybe it was the crude language and vulgar scenes or maybe it was the overall grittiness, I’m not sure. Several of the stories are told from the second person point of view and that bothered me as well.

I listened to the audio version of This Is How You Lose Her and wonder if I would have enjoyed it more in print – for some reason language, etc doesn’t bother me as much visually as it does verbally. The audio is narrated by the author and he does an adequate job. The audio version is on 5 CDs and lasts approximately 5 hours.

Since so many critics have loved this book, I feel sure that I missed something when I read it. If it sounds at all interesting to you, you should give it a try.

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I have avoided this book for exactly the reasons you didn’t like it: rumors of crude language, vulgar scenes, and overall grittiness! But I also agree that hearing it is worse than seeing it! LOL! Too old and uptight DEFINITELY describes ME but I’m sure those qualities in a book don’t appeal even to many young non-uptight people. But that’s why there can be so many books and as you say that way the world is more interesting!

I’m like you, Kathy. I can’t tolerate bad language, violence, rape scenes etc. on audio books, although it’s okay if it’s written down….it’s somewhat less disturbing. I have seen a lot of reviews that were on the fence regarding this book, so I guess it’s also a general feeling about reviewers, and probably the audio is not the only reason you didn’t enjoy it.

I had mixed feelings on this book too. I enjoyed the immersion into a culture different from my own, however, I often felt lost amid the slang and street language and didn’t care for a lot of the crude expressions. I can handle vulgar words as part of the story, but many of the crude expression were directed towards the women and that made me uncomfortable. And maybe that was the point. I don’t know. Not sure what the critics saw either. But I like to read fiction for entertainment and try not to over think any of it.

Did you read Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao? I think part of the reason I liked this one so much was that I kind of knew what kind of themes/language to expect already from that novel. I could see it being off-putting if you’re not looking for it.

As much praise as this book has received, I’m a little scared to read this. I have both the print and the audiobook. You’ve confirmed for me that print is the way to go. I want more out of an audiobook than adequate narration. I enjoy listening to him speak, but he doesn’t come off as someone with natural narrating abilities.

I have this on my desk too, but now I’m not so sure I want to listen to it. When it comes to crude language, I’m like you – I don’t like to hear it. But – in print my eyes skip over it easily. I read for the same reasons you do. I enjoy meeting people and visiting places I’d never get a chance to in real life. But that means I have to occasionally experience things like this that are not comfortable for me. It’s okay because it’s all part of the experience. I think I just talked myself into reading this book!